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| 27/4 Salut Another update from me in France. Since the last time i wrote to you, a lot has happened. Since i couldn’t find a third host family, the family i’m at now decided to let me stay with them until the end of my year. Which is perfectly fine with me, since the family is really great and so kind. Anyway, I spent a week long trip during spring break in paris with my mother, who came to visit. we had a lot of fun, and it was really nice seeing her again. We took a lot of pictures, and had some good laughs, but time flew by so quickly, she was gone before i knew it. but it’s not all bad, being alone for a year got me used to not having my parents around. What was really funny was the first time she told me to do something, after she hadn’t in 7 months. But all is well, and I’ll be home in July. Other than that, not much really has happened, i’ve just been living out life as normally as any american living in france. The week after my mom came to visit my host parents took me on a tour of castles in the center of France, or the Loire Valley. I even visited the city where Abbey lived last year. The castles here are just as you would imagine them, magical in everyway and look as if they came out of a fairy tale. It was nice to get away from the big city and get into the country. We also visited some wineries and cheese making farms, and also a real butcher on a farm, and bought fresh meat. We stayed in the center for about four days, then came back. the day we came back, some of my friends called me and invited me to Paris. They apperently organized a trip while i was away and we were going to spend a week in Paris! Awsome, the only hard part was trying to get money to go from my parents. But I went anyway and had the best time ever. We stayed in hotel and just lived life grandly! But only for a little while. The last day we were there in the subway we got robbed! Yeah, and it was by the two most innocent looking girls, too. I actually got away with nothing stolen, but some of my friends weren’t so lucky. But nothing serious so don’t worry. After that trip, I had another week of school, and then already i was on a plane for Barcelona, Spain. This had to have been one of the most memorable trips of my year here. I went with just my host father (he was there on business) but it didn’t take me long to meet people. i met two people on the plane who turned out to be some clothes designers from Manhattan who now live there. I was invited for lunch that afternoon, and then after lunch, they became my personal shopping guide. I have to say their tastes are a bit interesting. That night i went out with them to a bar that travelers frequent and met tons of new people and hung out with them for the remainder of my week there. And i walked away with a fairly healthy looking tan and some good friends, so there’s a plus. I got back from Barcelona and had a half week of school, then off again, this time it was a kayaking and conoeing trip with friends and some other exchange students from Rotary in the center of France. We camped out and had the best time. it was also kind of sad because this get together was the last one between a few of us. the Mexican exchange already left for home, and the Swiss really soon, followed by the Argentine. But it’s bbeen good while it lasted. i come home really soon, and I’m actually quite happy. Although, this is my life here now, and i’m going to be so torn leaving everybody and everything here behind. I have a few more places planned to visit before i go home including Germany and Belgium a few more times. Other than that, I will be back in the States the 7th of July. Au revior, ou bien, à bientôt. Kyle |
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Kyle Fouse- With "second host family"
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| 1/16/04- Hello Just an update of things over here. I've already moved into my second host family. I now live in Lille, the actual city. It's nice because I have everything I want right near me. My second host family's name is Lartigau. The father's name is Eric, the mother's name is Isabelle, two brothers, Thomas, 17; Guillaume (French version of Kevin) 16; and one sister, Oriane, 14. I moved on the 26th of December. I moved early because my first host family was having problems with a sick reletive. The holidays I spent with both families. For Christmas, we went to a small city in the northwest of France for dinner. My host uncle is a sculptor, and sculpted a clock with a picture of a painting of Fredrick Remington on it for me. Then after Christmas, I went skiing with my second host family in the Haute-Savoie mountains, or the French Alps. We skied for a week there. I never tried snowboarding before, so i decided to try it out. I hit one of those bumps created by skiers cutting and fell on top of my arm. Actually, I ripped ligements in my arm and had to have a cast type thing on my arm for a week and a half. i didn't think it was needed, but that's what the doctor said. I also went to Brussels with some friends from school and other 3 other exchange students. that was really fun. I've been to Paris numerous times since the last time I wrote, but once without adults. The two trips were really fun because we were just friends doing what we wanted and not having to follow any schedules. Other than that, I've just been adjusting to my new family, and going to school. My French is getting better, I can have conversations and things, but i still conjugate some verbs wrong. I still find it a little hard to make real good friends right now. I have many friends to go out with at night, or see a movie with, but not any real close ones. I was talking to a French friend that did the exchange last year to Canada, and she said, although you've been in France for this long already, it's normal not to have those relationships until the spring. But it does vary from person to person, because some of my other friends from America have one or two really good friends. So, other than that, it's just normal daily living. A bientot! Kyle |
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I'm having the time of my life- Kyle Fouse
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| 11/16/03- I know it's been a while since you last heard from me. I needed time to get settled and I was having e-mail problems. Well, I made it to France and I'm having the time of my life. France is great, and I couldn't ask for a nicer host family. My family's name is Armitano-Grivel. My father's name is Jean and my mother's name is François. I have two brothers and one sister. My brothers are Benjamin and Nicholas. Benjamin (his nickname is Moon) is 20 years old, and goes to a university. Nicholas (Nico) is 24 years old, and lives and works in Paris. My sister's name is Florence, she is 17 years old, and is also on the exchange like me. She is living in Madison right now. I live in a small community called Le Quennaomont in a small town called Cysoing (pronounced Sees-wan) I don't know this town really well because I go to school in a different town, and I spend most of my time there. I go to school in a big city called Lille. My second host family lives in Lille, also. Lille is the fourth largest city in France, with over two million inhabitants including the surrounding metropolitan area. It was also named the Culture Capital of Europe for 2004. This means decorations, and many celebrations and festivals. I'm really glad I'm living in Lille. I like the people and the diversity here. The experience of living in a big city, and a different country, gives me the opportunity of a broader point of view, than that of what I had living in Two Rivers. School is far from my house. I have to take the bus and the subway to the city, and then walk from the subway station to school. On some days, school lasts from eight in the morning till six t night. My school is a private catholic school called Lycée Privé Saint Paul (click for pictures), and is especially hard because it's kind of "famous" in the city. It is well known for providing the highest scores on the Baccaulauréate (BAC). The back is kind of like the SAT in the States. I'm in a class called 1éré L. L stands for Literature, and 1éré stands for Junior. Sophomore is 2éme, and Terminale is Senior. Besides L, you can choose S, sciences, or ES, economics. I haven't travelled too much yet. I've been to Paris, cities around Paris, London, and numerous cities in Belgium. Actually, just this past Tuesday (11/11) I went to Paris again with a group of friends. I do have contact with the other exchange students in the Lille area. We are five Americans, two Canadians, one Swiss, one Mexican, and one Argentinean. We all try to have lunch together on Wednesdays and maybe go out on Saturday nights. Other than that it's French with the French. C'EST LA VIE! (It is the life!) Kyle |